Why does EU want Google to open up Android to AI rivals?

The story so far: On April 27, the European Commission unveiled draft measures as part of its requirement for Google to open its Android ecosystem to AI rivals. These measures cover features such as third-party “wake words,” custom long-press rules, wider access to app data, context-based intelligence, and AI-powered task completion, with the regulator aiming for Android interconnections to allow even Google’s competitors to provide AI services to users via the Android ecosystem. The EU regulator’s proposed rules could have far-reaching implications for both Google and Android users worldwide.

While Google was deemed to be lagging behind OpenAI and Microsoft in terms of its Generative AI releases, the search giant caught up last year and infused its widely used products — ranging from its search engine and smartphones to personal email and workplace suite — with AI, exposing billions to its latest tech.